A car moves through a brush-equipped automatic car wash. - Nature, Food, Landscape, Travel/Getty ImagesNo matter how you slice it, car ownership is costly. Between down payments and monthly payments, insurance, gasoline, and maintenance, there's a lot to budget for. And maintenance is more than just regularly scheduled service intervals.Like simply washing the car. For most of us, this means not letting road grime, dirt, bird poop, and other muck stay on the paint for too long, potentially damaging its finish. Plus, if you're proud of your ride, why not keep it clean-looking? Jalopnik's readership has a ton of useful car cleaning tips and tricks, though you also have to ask yourself if you're ruining your car by washing it too often.Washes can become a rather pricey monthly expense if you choose to go beyond a hose and bucket of suds in your driveway. Car wash memberships have the potential of saving a lot of money, if you find one that fits your needs and budget. But what's the break-even point that makes a car wash membership useful? It's all about throwing down your hard-earned cash on one with the ideal balance among your time, preferred wash frequency, price, quality of wash, and desired perks.AdvertisementAdvertisementRead more: These Are The Cars That Scream 'I Peaked In High School'Frequency, time, and priceA car covered in soap during a car wash. - Master1305/ShutterstockFirst of all, what level of wash do you want and how often will you wash? If you find a membership that's the same cost as, or cheaper than, paying for your regular amount of individual washes — which can range between $3 and $20, or more, depending on the level of service — in a month, then signing up could save a few bucks. Especially if driving in and out for a quick hose-off is your preferred method. But there's more to it.Like the basic car wash accoutrements that are offered. What kind of water is used — reverse osmosis, recycled, or fresh water? Depending how the car is dried — namely, via blowers at the end — recycled and fresh are more likely to leave spots.Does it have brushes or is it touchless? Brushes are more likely to destroy your car's paint, but touchless often doesn't have the friction needed to remove more stubborn dirt.AdvertisementAdvertisementDoes it offer anything extra like free self-serve vacuums for gussying up the interior, or a faster members' lane? Does it also spray the underbody?A DIY wash once per week, like this author performs, may be a better route. That's because you can focus on washing specific areas of the vehicle, especially if you develop your own time-maximizing system. Like doing a quick spray with foam, then taking your time cleaning off brake dust, and finally hosing it all off. A normal drive-through membership may be out of the question entirely in this instance because it may not offer a deep enough clean.In the end, finding the balance of time, frequency, price, quality of wash, and perks that's right for you will let you determine the point where a car wash membership becomes useful.Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and add us as a preferred search source on Google.Read the original article on Jalopnik.